10 Games That ESCAPED Development Hell

10 Games That Escaped Development Hell

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at games that went through development Hell and came out the other side.

“Skull and Bones” (2024)

The most recent game to escape development Hell is Ubisoft’s “Skull and Bones.” Beginning development in 2013, the game was originally conceptualized as an expansion for “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,” given the popularity of that game’s naval combat. It then grew to be its own pirate simulation title inspired by the former before going through an extremely lengthy development period. Ubisoft announced the project in 2017, which went through numerous changes in gameplay and setting. A 2021 report by Kotaku revealed there were a lot of conflicting ideas behind the scenes about what the game should be. It suffered numerous delays, but it made it through, releasing in February of 2024, eleven years after its initial development began.

“Team Fortress 2” (2007)

Valve’s beloved team-based FPS took quite the long time to get here. The game was first shown off at E3 1999. It originally featured a realistic visual style, and took a more modern approach to warfare than other shooters of the time. The game was delayed in 2000 when Valve switched engines. But then, news went quiet for six years. When Valve finally showed off “Team Fortress 2” again in 2006, it looked entirely different. Gone was the realistic style, replaced by cartoonish flair. Gameplay was a bit different too, but everything was for the best. “Team Fortress 2” released in 2007, and went on to become a highly influential title that still has a playerbase today.

“Duke Nukem Forever” (2011)

On the other side of things, too long a development period can lead to a dated game. Following the success of “Duke Nukem 3D,” developer 3D Realms immediately announced a sequel in 1997 with an expected release of Christmas 1998. However, “Forever” would turn out to be a pretty accurate title. It went through multiple changes in engine, and severely lacked direction throughout its life cycle. Studio founders George Broussard and Scott Miller were reportedly nightmares to work under. The game dragged on, delay after delay, until in 2009, when 3D Realms closed after publisher Take-Two wouldn’t give them more money. However, Gearbox came to the rescue in 2010, finishing up development and releasing it in 2011.

“Kirby’s Return to Dream Land” (2011)

Following 2000’s “Kirby 64,” Nintendo began development on Kirby’s next adventure for the then-upcoming GameCube. It was to be similar to its predecessor, but would’ve featured multiplayer. Though Nintendo showed off the game at E3 2005, it would later be scrapped when the multiplayer proved too difficult to program. During the Wii era, the game would go through two more iterations: a 3D adventure, and another side scroller but with a different art style. Nintendo finally got things back on track in early 2010, keeping the original multiplayer idea well intact. “Kirby’s Return to Dream Land” released in 2011, eleven years after development began.

“Dead Island 2” (2023)

Considering the first game and its 2013 follow-up, “Riptide,” only received middling reviews, we’re surprised “Dead Island 2” ever released given what it had to go through. Entering development in 2012, it was announced in 2014 with new developer Yager Development and a planned release of mid-2015. But then, Yager left the project, essentially citing ‘creative differences’ between itself and publisher Deep Silver. In early 2016, Sumo Digital joined the fray, though was replaced by Deep Silver’s internal development studio, Dambuster, in 2019. It would still take nearly four years before players got to experience it. Eleven years after development started, “Dead Island 2” released in April of 2023.

“Doom” (2016)

Other than a few mobile games, things were pretty quiet between the release of 2004’s “Doom 3” and the franchise’s 2016 revival. However, that wasn’t the plan. Id Software began development on “Doom 4” in 2007. It would have reimagined “Doom II,” focusing on demons invading Earth, and taken inspiration from “Call of Duty.” Thankfully, the higher-ups at the studio realized that wasn’t really what “Doom” was, and decided to restart development to bring it more in line with the original games. That meant we got no news on the project for several years, until it was teased at E3 2014. It was released two years after the teaser, and nine years after development began.

“Final Fantasy XV” (2016)

Beginning as a spin-off of another entry, “Final Fantasy XV” took ten years of development before it was finally released. It was initially envisioned as “Final Fantasy Versus XIII” and Square Enix began work in 2006 for the PS3. Its ideas and design apparently grew so big that talks about turning it into a mainline installment began early on. The change happened definitively in 2012 with the upcoming releases of Sony and Microsoft’s next consoles. This caused not only development to restart, but for the entire team dynamic to change; even the game’s director was replaced. “Final Fantasy XV” spent another four years in development before it released, but it was all for the best.

“Mother 3” (2006)

A lot of games get stuck in development Hell, but few span as many consoles as “Mother 3.” Nintendo began working on it for the Super Famicom in 1994. But with the onset of 3D, it wasn’t long before development switched to the Nintendo 64, and then the 64DD, a disc-based peripheral. When that bombed in Japan, Nintendo discontinued it and moved “Mother 3” back to the regular system. Fans got their first look at the game, known as “EarthBound 64” in North America, in 1999. The game reportedly took too many resources while Nintendo was planning the launch of the GameCube. It was canceled, but not forgotten. Though it didn’t officially release outside Japan, “Mother 3” landed on the GBA in 2006 after spending twelve years in development.

“Nioh” (2017)

When Team Ninja’s “Nioh” launched in 2017, it got a lot of comparisons to FromSoftware’s ‘Soulslike’ games. Interestingly, its development actually predates the popular sub-genre. The game’s life started in 2004 under developer Koei, and it went through several fairly different versions before it would be released. Between 2004 and 2008, it spent time as a JRPG. After production was restarted, Omega Force came on as developer, turning it into an action game similar to “Dynasty Warriors.” Team Ninja was brought on to help in 2010, but became the sole developer in 2012, when “Nioh’ began to resemble its future, action-RPG self. It would still spend another five years in development, totaling thirteen years overall.

“Metroid Dread” (2021)

In 2005, Nintendo began work on a sequel to “Metroid Fusion” for the DS. Series creator Yoshio Sakamoto wanted to expand on the previous game’s ideas with a bit more stealth and a horrifying antagonist that would hunt Samus throughout. Sadly, the handheld’s hardware wasn’t up to snuff. Sakamoto tried again in 2008, even producing a playable prototype, but found it didn’t meet his expectations. Work on spin-offs and 3D games progressed, but most thought “Dread” to be dead. In fact, many players likely forgot all about it until Nintendo finally, officially revealed it during its E3 2021 Direct. The shock of its actual existence was only matched by news that it would release in a few months, sixteen years after Nintendo’s first attempt at making it.

Which games are you glad made it through development Hell? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!